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Interview Podcast Audio 50 Cent
Curtis

MP3: Hey, 50? 50 Cent: Hey, what's up? What's going on, man? How are you doing? Oh, man, everything is good. Right on, right on. So let's talk about the new album, man, Curtis, coming out September 11th. Yeah. Third record. What can you tell us about it? Oh, man, this album and the process of me making it was different from every other project that I made so far. How so? I usually—in the past, all my solo projects I've isolated myself to working with G-Unit members and Eminem and Dr. Dre. And this album I went outside of them. I worked with Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke, Mary J. Blige, Akon, Nicole from Pussycat Dolls. I was just trying to create event music this time around, you know what I mean. Sure, sure. Totally. I established myself, by myself, selling over 20 million records on my solo projects and two albums and then come back this time and to get with other artists to kind of see if they could provide a different creative direction based on the collaboration, just organically it just felt like the thing to do. Nice. Right on. I also noticed that—I mean, on the first two albums you have a lot of sort of under-the-radar producers, whereas on this album it's Timbaland and the Neptunes and real super-producer type of cats. Was that the same reason? You just wanted to mix it up? Well I just wanted to not have the same cookie-cutter mentality that I blame Interscope for having. So why I would explore the new producer because I feel like they'll have a gem and not know what it is. They might have it in the computer. You've got so many people that got mp3s and different machines that can actually produce decent beats that don't get a shot. I have the time and the energy to find a hit record. I'll sit there and go through the CDs until I find something that matches, that creatively sends me in the right direction. Sure. But you have producers that have a higher consistency. Yeah, no doubt. You might have a CD with 40 beats on it and then you got one good one. And then you've got the guy that can… That can make 40 bangers. Right. Like, you've got your Timbalands and you're Dr. Dres and these guys have a higher consistency. So, nine times out of ten when you stop by there you're going to find something that you can use, you know what I mean. I also wanted to ask about the date change. It was originally supposed to come out earlier. Yeah, in June. Was that—I mean, I know that the reasoning behind that was about—there was some talk about making sure that it could be released worldwide on the same day. Simultaneously. Yeah. Was that the real reason or was it also because the singles at the time weren't quite jumping off like they were expected to? Well you know, check this out. For me—you've got to also understand, like, do you know what the public doesn't understand? What's that? Is that, the companies, when they realize that they're pushing a record back, they stop working. Mm-hmm. So the singles would have been in a different position if I continued to come June 26th. Right. But they stopped adding that additional push to the records when they realized I'm not coming out till September. For me, "Straight to the Bank" and "Amusement Park" did exactly what I was planning for them to do. Okay. When I returned with—they didn't—I didn't get the response that I get when I'm releasing my first single. Like, things are supposed to stop when 50 Cent—you see what I'm saying, as far as I'm concerned. Because, if it ain't going to stop when I release a record, who's it going to stop for. And there's no one else that can create a bigger event in hip-hop music, outside of Eminem. Right, right. So if he's not coming, then when I put out a record it should impact. So I went back in the studio and created new material that I felt like would give me that response. And when I released the song called, "I Get Money"… Yeah, that song's huge. Yeah. It impacted like 50 Cent is getting ready to come out, you see what I'm saying? That's the impact that you were looking for right there. Right. And at the same time, I feel like Interscope as a record company are reactive, they're not proactive. Mm-hmm. As soon as I drop, "I Get Money," it's like, "yeah." And then they get behind it and do everything else they've got to do. But this is after the public decides the record is the right record. Right. So I'm saying to myself—it's like I've seen it in other cases, like Jay-Z's album, the "Show Me What You Got" record. I've had people tell me on radio that they felt that was the wrong record the whole time. But they had the record get in and they held that record up the whole time. So I'm like I watched that record grow, faster than all of my records to date, based on the marketing dollars that was provided for it, you see what I'm saying. Yeah, absolutely, man. And definitely, I mean, that one too is they had the whole, like, Budweiser ad time… Everybody was behind that. NASCAR and everything else. Yeah. So for me I look at Interscope as a record company and say they're supposed to be able to provide additional support. So basically you feel like they're not putting their all behind you as much as they should. I feel like they're not sure what the music business is gonna be. They're experiencing technology like the rest of us. Yeah, totally. So they're not sure because of ring tones and everything else. I'm like, "Don't call me talking about a ring tone." You see what I'm saying, like, when—I was the leading selling artist on ring tones initially because I was the leading-selling rap artist's music that you would buy at that point. So when I sit back a little bit in order to focus on other projects and other business that I'm doing, well I'll be physically conditioning myself for a film project that I haven't shot yet, at the same time reading and rehearsing for a film project that I've got coming up before that, and running around marketing and promoting CDs— The records. —the records, while conducting my other business. So if they've got—if I can't get the same assistance on their level, then, it won't damage me to not have my record do well. Yeah, that's the thing. It's not like you need the money at this point. Right. So it's like for me I enjoy making the music. My passion for the music is really what sends me back into the studio because I'm like, "whoa." I think they're really Tryin' to tell me—they're not responding to me like I am who I am. So let me go back and create the material that is undeniable at this point, and release it and then see if they can fix it, you know what I'm saying, so we can get it right back the way it's supposed to be. But it doesn't make sense for me to release a record and not have it come out worldwide simultaneously everywhere. I hear you. Like, a lot of the other artists don't have the same following internationally. Right. I mean, that's the thing. Your fan base is huge in the States but outside of the States it's probably even bigger numbers wise. It's bigger. It is. So for me to release a record in the States and have it not come out internationally, I would be crazy because they will get it internationally without paying for it. Now I wanted to—speaking of that, you know, I interviewed you a couple of years ago in New York right before The Massacre came out. And I remember you were telling me then, that if the record sells one copy less than Get Rich or Die Tryin' that you would consider it a failure. Yeah. And I know just the way the market it right now, the way the game is, even if this record is the biggest record of the year that there is still definitely a chance that it's going to sell less than The Massacre did. Now. Now it is. Now. Yeah, exactly. But you know what? In all honesty, going into the second project, this was my sophomore project, I was feeling so much of the energy of people doubting that I can do it again, that energy made me feel like, "No, it better do better than that and I'm going to do everything possible to make it do better than that." Now, I sold 872,000 copies my first week on Get Rich or Die Tryin', then another 822,000 the following week. On The Massacre, I sold 1,140,000 copies in four days. So that was bigger than I did on Get Rich or Die Tryin'. The space that the market was in at the time then allowed me to do—Get Rich had had 12 million worldwide to date and… Massacre is like eight or something? Yeah, almost eight—seven. Okay, I mean, obviously the industry has changed so much just in the past two years or the past couple years since it's come out. Does that worry you or do you just not even care at this point? No. Do you know what it is? I feel like if we can't sell—the record sales itself won't be an indication of the interest you're generating. Right, absolutely. But whatever the record sales will be, I'll be on the roof of it. Mm-hmm, totally. See, they can gauge on my project saying what the possibility is, for selling a rap record. You feel what I'm saying? Away from that, the only other person they can gauge it on is Eminem. They can wait for Em to come out and see how many records he can actually sell because he has the big—has had the highest consistency and has the biggest following, fan base. And he is planning to do another record, right? That's what I hear. Yeah, at some point he's going to release another record. But the difference between Eminem and Dr. Dre and 50 Cent's musical process is I'm on a schedule. And both Em and Dre— Yeah, and both those guys are just going to have a good time. Right. They make their records organically. When they have 12 records playing in front of them that they feel like are the best 12 records in the world, they put an album out. Other than that, there's nothing else that influences the release of their records. They're not in a hurry. Right. But everybody else—I'm still on a time schedule, time clock. So it's like, after my next record, I'll put out Curtis right now and then my next album is Before I Self Destruct. And is that, then, what you're going to do, like, a hits record and then be done with Interscope? It's a greatest hits CD. They have a greatest hits option and then I've completed my contractual agreement, because I signed a five-album deal. But at that point we've got to do the renegotiating. But after that I will make records organically. Then you'll take your time and just do it at your own pace. Right. Are you—I mean, you're in a position both money wise and connection wise where if you wanted to, you could totally start your own label and do stuff independent. Do you ever think about doing that or would you just shop around for a better deal? I mean, I probably would stay at Interscope but I would have to renegotiate. Right. You know what I mean. If I couldn't make a deal that made sense to me, then I would leave. It's just at that point we're talking about a negotiation between attorneys and everybody else at the same time. Yeah, I'm sure that's a process. I want to touch a little bit on the status of G-Unit and the artists that are on the roster right now. I know that there's talk about another G-Unit group album that's going to come out. Is that going to be later this year or the first quarter next year or have you… Well probably first quarter next year just because—well it could make the fourth quarter. It could make the fourth quarter because we started recording already. That's cool. But it's coming along good? You're happy with the progress? Yeah. Now what's the status of like M.O.P.? Are they even still on G-Unit? Yeah, they're still contractually on G-Unit. But is their album ever going to come out? Well I don't know. You'll have to talk to M.O.P. Right, right. [laughs] You know, for me, they've got issues within that the group that they have to fix within their camp. Like, it is not a G-Unit issue. It's an M.O.P. issue. So when that's worked out then it'll be a go. Okay. What about the Mobb? Are those guys still, everything cool with them? Yeah, they're still on G-Unit. I saw Prodigy yesterday. He was over. Cool. And I know that Olivia is not in the camp anymore. No. Are you guys looking at any other females or just any other artists in general to scoop up? Well, you know, I'm always looking for new artists, you know what I mean, but I gotta be able to… They've got to be making some money too. Yeah, they've got to be able to, put it like this, they got to come in as business associates opposed to friends. The problem that—like, I created an unhealthy situation for myself over here because people think it's mandatory opposed to being appreciative on some level. I heard you say in another interview that basically everybody there could be replaced if they don't come through and if they don't put in the work and bring results, except for Yayo, that Yayo's position there was safe. Is that just because you guys go way back? Well I mean, it was just me and Yayo to begin with. Totally. You know what I mean. And he never changes his position because he sees things exactly the way they were, from the beginning. Like, any of them, they don't have no type of harsh feelings about—like Banks sold two million records on his first album. But Yayo brought Banks to me. I got you. You see what I'm saying. And Banks' album, Interscope wanted to release Buck's album first because they heard on the "Let Me In" record that I did with Buck, I started of like, "I keep the club jumpin' from beginning to the end / go shorty / we back up in this bitch again. We party, harder than you ever…"—you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. Because it started, it had that reference that made them think of "In Da Club," they wanted Young Buck to come out before Banks. They didn't understand that Banks had created this following on the mixtape circuit, that made him the artist that should be released next. Mm-hmm. So I went and I forced them to go in the direction that it was supposed to go in and that was to release Banks album first the "Smile" record worked off of the G-Unit album and then "On Fire" record did great and he sold 2 million records, 500,000, 530,000 records his first week, and went on to sell 2 million records. What about -- I know that there was some talk about maybe LL going over there, possibly BG. Is that still on the table? I'm executive producer on LL's next album. The album is titled Exit 13. You know, it's his last contractual obligation to Def Jam. And the record is great. I think people are going to be blown away by it. See, you can't offer—50 Cent can't offer LL Cool J anything, outside of my pick of production. Your ear for beats or whatever. Right. And then after that I can help melody wise of course, because I'm chorus driven. And then from there you just let him go because he's so experienced that he's doing things in the studio that I didn't think was possible. Yeah. He's been in it for a minute now. That guy's an O.G. for sure. Yeah. Right on. I want to touch a little bit on just your other outside business ventures. Obviously the water—Coca-Cola bought the Vitamin Water. That was huge for you. You're still doing the clothing and still bringing in a lot of money, the books, all that stuff. I mean, are you constantly out there just looking for new opportunities? Yeah, I'm launching a fragrance soon. A fragrance? Power by 50 Cent. Nice. That's going to be for men or women or both or what? Both. And in the future they should look forward to me endorsing products for a dietary supplement company. Really? Okay, excellent. Now, yeah, I wanted to talk about that. I know that you're a real healthy dude. You work out all the time. You don't smoke and you don't drink and whatnot. Do you ever think about doing something like opening a chain of gyms or something like that? I thought about it, too. That's funny you ask. Oh yeah? Yeah, man. But it would just have to be at a point where I have time to actually research what's going on in that field and that business. Right on. What about the movies? You said you were working on a couple of new flicks. Yeah, I've got a film right now that I'm doing with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Yeah. I heard about that—what's that called? "Righteous Kill." "Righteous Kill," okay, word. And you're shooting it right now or just doing preliminary stuff? Well we start in late September. Cool. Have you had a chance to meet those guys yet and chop it up? Yeah, I met them. I met Robert twice. I went to his house. I met his wife and stuff like that, and then we went to a firing range. Nice. We hung out at a different time and then Al Pacino a couple of times, we went to table readings and stuff like that. Cool. That's excellent. Now is that something—I mean, when you think about movies compared to records it's like, the money is so more up front and guaranteed. When you make a movie and you get $20 million or whatever like just off the top and then the backend stuff. Is that something, being a business-minded dude like yourself, is that something that you see a bigger future in? Well for me, creatively, I challenge myself with the film projects because hip-hop is so competitive it doesn't allow you to put yourself in spaces where you show all of your character. Sure. You know what I mean? Like, you've got to limit what you can deliver. But the film projects are different, you can do more. More freedom. You can actually challenge yourself and go somewhere else. I also want to ask you—you're one of—not just as a rapper but just as an all-around entertainer, celebrity, just international kind of headline maker, you're up there with the biggest of the big guys. What's the best thing about being in your position and just being 50 Cent? And on the flipside of that, what's the worst thing? Well the best thing is not having to—like in my space right now is the opportunities, man. There's always new opportunities opening up for me to actually explore and see if it's something I want to be involved in. And the negative thing is you have people's expectations growing around you based on your success and it has nothing to do with—when they have no involvement in the deals and the things that you're actually doing, they just expect more. And then that could become difficult, you know. Sure. I hear you. So where would you like to see yourself—you went from the whole—the first album, The Power of the Dollar that didn't really jump off, to the mixtape scene, to Get Rich to The Massacre. You've been on a steady, steady rise. In five years you've gone from, not the bottom, but from just on the come up to being a superstar. No, from the bottom. [laughs] Yeah, from the bottom to the top basically. Where would you like to see yourself or where do you see yourself five years from now? Well five years from now, well my goal is to just maintain my position. Stay on top. You know what I mean, yeah. Just to be able to maneuver and do things. Like, you don't reach—you don't make it—you may make it onto Forbes because you made money, but you won't be there next year because you can't continue to earn, you see what I'm saying. Yeah, totally. So just keep the crown kind of. Yeah, and it's not even about money. It's just about—ambitioun is in the—I don't think it's a learned behavior. I think it's a part of a person's character. And I look forward to creating new goals and actually achieving them. Cool. Well the last thing I want to ask you and this is something that I always ask. Everybody wants to rap right now. Everybody wants to get in the game. They're on Myspace or whatever. Being that you're at the top of the heap, what would your advice be for all these kids out there that look up to a guy like you? You've gotta stay focused, and run on your own energy, because there might be a point that you created some material that people are not responding to at the moment, but then you'll have your moment. See, like when I came, Nelly was on fire, [starts singing "Country Grammar"] and—but Ja was singing in the rain, like, it was different. My content was aggressive because of my experience, and I didn't change it. If I started tryin' to make music like they were making, which was selling at that point, I wouldn't have had my moment. So just basically stay focused and keep doing your thing. And do what you do. Like, let your music be a reflection of your experience and your lifestyle. Right on, man. Well listen, 50, man, thanks for taking the time to do this. I appreciate it. All right. And I'm looking forward to hearing the album. Okay.